U.S. Recognizes Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital

The official position of the United States is now that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. We discuss Wednesday’s announcement by President Donald Trump to “finally acknowledge the obvious” and reaffirm his support of a two-state solution.

In a speech from the White House, Trump said previous administrations have “failed to deliver” on pledges to recognize Jerusalem as the capital. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim the city as their capital and the U.S. has refused to take sides in the dispute, locating its embassy in Tel Aviv. In his speech, Trump ordered the State Department to prepare to move the embassy to Jerusalem.

Trump insisted that despite the shift toward Jerusalem, America is not necessarily taking a position on any peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians.

The global community has largely condemned the announcement, saying the move may intensify conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and hurt chances for peace. Hamas has also deemed Friday a “day of rage” in protest of Trump’s decision.

Do you support or oppose Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital? Is the move just a formality or will it undermine the possibility of peace in the region? How do you feel about Trump’s commitment to a two-state solution? Let us know at 1-800-642-1234 or ideas@wpr.org. You can also tweet us @wprmornings or post on the Ideas Network Facebook page.